Uninsured motorist insurance protects drivers who are hit by another person who has no auto insurance. In those cases, it does not make much sense to sue the at-fault driver, because those who have no insurance usually don’t have much money. Instead, the policyholder makes a claim against their own insurer up to the coverage limit. Here, drivers can look at more info on under and uninsured motorist coverage and how they can be used after Automobile Accidents in Bethlehem PA.
Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Underinsured motorist coverage protects the customer when they are hit by someone who doesn’t have enough car insurance to cover the damage. In such a case, the policyholder makes a claim only if their coverage exceeds the at-fault driver’s policy limit.
For instance, let’s say a case is worth $100,000 but the other driver only has $50,000 in coverage. Here, the policyholder could make an underinsured claim as long as they have more than $50,000 in coverage. The coverage only pays damages in excess of the negligent party’s coverage.
How Claims Work
If a person believes that the person who hit them has no insurance, they should notify their insurer as quickly as possible of the intent to file a claim. Some policies impose deadlines on policyholders where uninsured claims are concerned, and it can be as little as thirty days. If the other driver says they have no insurance or if they refuse to provide their information, the policyholder should notify their insurer. Once the victim and their lawyer believe that the case is worth more than the defendant has in liability coverage, the insurer should be notified.
The Claims Process
In most cases, an under or uninsured motorist claim works in much the same sequence as any other claim after Automobile Accidents in Bethlehem PA, except that the policyholder makes a claim against their own insurer. There are pretrial investigations, medical records disclosures, and witness depositions to handle. There’s one key difference, however. If the policyholder and the insurer cannot come to a settlement agreement, the policyholder cannot sue.
In cases where the insurer and the policyholder cannot agree on a figure, the claim is submitted to binding arbitration. This informal hearing in front of an arbitrator decides who prevails. Unlike court trials, the loser in an arbitration has almost no right to appeal, and they must abide by the decision made.
